Oliva Nub Blend

[The James]

Hello! My favorite commercial cigar is the Oliva Nub 460 Conneticutt and I would like to duplicate it's blend for my own enjoyment. The results of my online research has yielded only very general information such as which Country the wrapper, binder and filler come from. Have you dissected this cigar and/or identified exactly which stains it contains etc? I realize the amounts of each will affect the blend and the final product and will require experimentation.

This is my very first post. I am a brand new registered user of this fantastic site. I have yet to roll my first cigar.

Thanks in advance for your information.

 

[Cigar]

Welcome to form James I wish you luck in finding to blend for the Oliva Nub you might get lucky and discover were each leaf {wrapper/binder/fillers} are grown..but the finding the exact amount of each leaf like in the fillers will be hard to find out not that can be found! I too when first started rolling own cigars few years ago have been on quest to find my favorite "bought" cigar {RP Sungrown} have got very close but no exact victory yet! but still learning and rolling all kinds of blends thats the fun part!

Cigar

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum. The quest for a specific commercial blend is a tough one. I have been able to come close with certain cigars that I've smoked for decades, but only after stumbling onto a specific variety of whole leaf that plucks at a memory string.

The wrapper of the NUB 460 Connecticut is the easy part: CT Shade.
The filler is said to be entirely Nicaraguan. Since nearly all of the filler grown there is Habano, Nicaraguan Habano is a starting place. But to come out mild, it would need to have a high proportion of seco, maybe a small amount of viso, and no ligero. The binder probably won't matter too much, so long as it's not strong or intensely flavored. Also, part of the experience of a NUB is the large volume of nearly unfiltered smoke from the 60 ring cross section blasting through so short a cigar. A relatively mild blend will produce a substantial hit. I'll bet that if you purchased CT Shade (or Ecuador CT Shade) wrapper and just Nicaraguan Seco from WLT, you could come awfully close, just by carefully selecting the variation within the batch of seco filler, including a Nic Habano seco for the binder.

Another source of hints is the description of JR Cigar's JR Alternative to the NUB 460 Connecticut: https://www.jrcigars.com/item/jr-alternative-cigars/jr-alternative/nub-460-connecticut/jrnub

"Handmade with the long-filler clippings from some of the best smokes in the world such as Macanudo, Montecristo, and Excalibur..."

Well, all three of these sources of "clippings" are mild cigars that include either Dominican or Honduran seco leaf.

CAVEAT: I can't recall having ever smoked the NUB 460 Connecticut.

So, order some:

• CT Shade wrapper
• Nicaragua Habano seco
• Dominican seco
• maybe some Honduras Habano filler

When you get the leaf, carefully go through each filler type, and separate out any wrapper/binder quality leaf. You might observe the color differences within each single batch of filler.

Good luck with your endeavor.

Bob

 

[Cigar]

That was great helpful answer deluxestogie like always..I wanted to tell him/her same thing about looking at online sites that sell factory cigars like JR..but didnt know if was ok to mention them here on forum.

 

[Smokin Harley]

First- Welcome to FTT
Second- I think you'll find that making your own blends will turn out better than anticipated once you get a feel for the rolling process and taste once you start distinguishing what a particular leaf variety will bring to the flavor table. I love Nubs (I prefer their Nub Habano 460 and 466) and other store bought smokes . I quit trying to copy their blends . I did however find through trial and error that I can make a blend that is just as good or even better than 50% of the store boughts I have had. Some in taste, some in just burning properly. Get some leaf from WLT and get to it. Start out with Dominican binder , Nicaraguan viso is always a great blending leaf, Criollo blends well with those, corojo goes really well with Criollo too . Then just experiment swapping wrappers to an established blend for subtle differences.

 

[The James]

Welcome to form James I wish you luck in finding to blend for the Oliva Nub you might get lucky and discover were each leaf {wrapper/binder/fillers} are grown..but the finding the exact amount of each leaf like in the fillers will be hard to find out not that can be found! I too when first started rolling own cigars few years ago have been on quest to find my favorite "bought" cigar {RP Sungrown} have got very close but no exact victory yet! but still learning and rolling all kinds of blends thats the fun part!

Cigar

Thank you, Cigar, for your two replies. I agree that it should be a fun "search". I will report my progress, or lack thereof, on this site. James

 

[The James]

Welcome to the forum. The quest for a specific commercial blend is a tough one. I have been able to come close with certain cigars that I've smoked for decades, but only after stumbling onto a specific variety of whole leaf that plucks at a memory string.

The wrapper of the NUB 460 Connecticut is the easy part: CT Shade.
The filler is said to be entirely Nicaraguan. Since nearly all of the filler grown there is Habano, Nicaraguan Habano is a starting place. But to come out mild, it would need to have a high proportion of seco, maybe a small amount of viso, and no ligero. The binder probably won't matter too much, so long as it's not strong or intensely flavored. Also, part of the experience of a NUB is the large volume of nearly unfiltered smoke from the 60 ring cross section blasting through so short a cigar. A relatively mild blend will produce a substantial hit. I'll bet that if you purchased CT Shade (or Ecuador CT Shade) wrapper and just Nicaraguan Seco from WLT, you could come awfully close, just by carefully selecting the variation within the batch of seco filler, including a Nic Habano seco for the binder.

Another source of hints is the description of JR Cigar's JR Alternative to the NUB 460 Connecticut: https://www.jrcigars.com/item/jr-alternative-cigars/jr-alternative/nub-460-connecticut/jrnub

"Handmade with the long-filler clippings from some of the best smokes in the world such as Macanudo, Montecristo, and Excalibur..."

Well, all three of these sources of "clippings" are mild cigars that include either Dominican or Honduran seco leaf.

CAVEAT: I can't recall having ever smoked the NUB 460 Connecticut.

So, order some:

• CT Shade wrapper
• Nicaragua Habano seco
• Dominican seco
• maybe some Honduras Habano filler

When you get the leaf, carefully go through each filler type, and separate out any wrapper/binder quality leaf. You might observe the color differences within each single batch of filler.

Good luck with your endeavor.

Bob

A very impressive, detailed reply, deluxestogie/Bob. Thank you for sharing your considerable knowledge as well as your words of encouragement. With your, and Smokin Harley's, information I have excellent starting points.

James

 

[Tutu]

Do update us on the progress! Would be interesting to hear anything about the degree of success you're having!

 

[The James]

First- Welcome to FTT
Second- I think you'll find that making your own blends will turn out better than anticipated once you get a feel for the rolling process and taste once you start distinguishing what a particular leaf variety will bring to the flavor table. I love Nubs (I prefer their Nub Habano 460 and 466) and other store bought smokes . I quit trying to copy their blends . I did however find through trial and error that I can make a blend that is just as good or even better than 50% of the store boughts I have had. Some in taste, some in just burning properly. Get some leaf from WLT and get to it. Start out with Dominican binder , Nicaraguan viso is always a great blending leaf, Criollo blends well with those, corojo goes really well with Criollo too . Then just experiment swapping wrappers to an established blend for subtle differences.

It's great to meet a fellow Nub smoker! I have tried two of each variation of Nubs and the Ct is the one I settled on. The others were a little strong for me. I have read online that our tastes in cigars can evolve, over time, into stronger/bolder cigars. Time will tell. Thank you for your reply and mentioning that you have been able to assemble blends that, 50% of the time, equal or exceed retail cigars. That is especially good news because I've had the thought that my being able to produce a satisfactory blend might be unsuccessful. Now I have a more positive outlook. James

 

[The James]

Do update us on the progress! Would be interesting to hear anything about the degree of success you're having!

Yes. I will report on my results, both positive and not so positive.

Thank you for noticing and replying to my post.

James
P.S. My son and his family are living in Ukarumpa, PNG.

 

[Tutu]

Wowh! What brought them to PNG? How long have they been there? Would be interesting to find out if any tobacco is cultivated there. Not far from Timor Leste in a geographical sense. Sure there is tobacco on Timor Leste, so... Papua has for long been on our to go to list.

 

[Knucklehead]

Hello! My favorite commercial cigar is the Oliva Nub 460 Conneticutt and I would like to duplicate it's blend for my own enjoyment. The results of my online research has yielded only very general information such as which Country the wrapper, binder and filler come from. Have you dissected this cigar and/or identified exactly which stains it contains etc? I realize the amounts of each will affect the blend and the final product and will require experimentation.

This is my very first post. I am a brand new registered user of this fantastic site. I have yet to roll my first cigar.

Thanks in advance for your information.

Just in case you didn't know, the owner of this forum also owns www.wholeleaftobacco.com. The worlds best source for whole leaf. His screen name is FmGrowit, otherwise known as the Don.

 

[Smokin Buffalo]

After speaking with Nimmish of Rocky Patel cigars, I can tell you that cigar manufacturers are never honest with where the tobacco comes from or what kind it is. It's their competitive edge to not list it correctly or they could be easily copied. It doesn't matter if it's listed in their sales materials or on their websites, it's not correct.

 

[The James]

Hello! This is my first update and my second post since 9-19-16. It has been over two months since you all favored me with suggestions on how to approximate Nub 460 Ct cigar's blend. I followed what deluxestogie said and ordered Ecuador Ct Shade wrapper, Nicaragua Habano Seco and Nicaragua Habano Viso from Whole Leaf Tobacco. I also ordered Sumatra Cigar Binder because of it's netural taste. This assortment comes very close to Oliva's Nub Ct.! "Close, but no cigar." The cigars burn well (even though they are unsightly to look at) and never go out. However, the addition of even one half of one leaf of Viso adds a pepper note which the original Nub does not have. The ash is more typical and is not firm like Nubs'.
I'm considering placing the first cigar that I "rolled" in a 100 year time capsule just to make those folks wonder WHAT in the world it is! A cigar would not ever be one of their guesses.
Fortunately, I came across a 3-part series of YouTube videos by GDaddy in which he does an outstanding job of explaining the "how to's" of rolling a cigar. After rolling my first 2 or 3 cigars I was about ready to hang it up due to the very, very poor end product that resulted from my efforts. GDaddy saved the day for me! Maybe his "Test" videos should be required viewing by every person who is new to rolling cigars.
I've now rolled about 30 cigars and 90% of them are not at all pretty. I can live with their lack of cosmetic appeal but the main stumbling block for me is the fact that they are too loose. Joe6pack9 states in one of his YouTube videos that most beginners roll their cigars too tight and he explains how to avoid that. He also states that repeatedly rolling the bindered bunch that that will tighten the cigar but I have had no success with that. I have rolled cigars in various stages of case, thinking that more moisture might help. It didn't.
Another frustrating problem for me is the inconsistency of the size (diameter and length) of my cigars. The same number of leaves will yield ring sizes from 50 to 75 ring and 5" to 7" in length. My mold is for 60 ring size...and sees limited use.
Any remedies would be greatly appreciated. James

 

[deluxestogie]

Rolling your own cigar that is merely "close" to a desired brand is a major achievement, given the huge variation in batches and years of specific leaf varieties.

I would guess that a newly hired cigar factory trainee torcedor would roll at least 60 cigars on day one. After a few weeks of practice (thousands of cigars), she or he may be ready for an easy cigar shape on a production line of a lower quality brand.

What I'm saying is that consistency takes practice.

For a rock hard cigar that draws, I use the following method.
Filler in low case (important)
binder in medium case
wrapper in high case

Lay two binder strips on top of one another, to create a double binder. With a double binder, compress the low case filler as tightly as possible without ripping the binder. Apply wrapper as usual. I have never been able to roll a cigar that is too tight to draw, so long as the filler is in low case.

Mold: Ignore your cigar mold, until you can consistently roll smokable cigars by hand.

Bob

 

[The James]

Bob/deluxestogie...a thousand thanks for your very encouraging words! Hearing that getting "close" to my desired cigar's performance and taste is a "major achievement" makes me feel much, much better. Without your suggested blend I'd never have been able to reach that point so soon...if ever. Being able to ignore my mold, for the time being, will save me tons of frustration and time. Time, which I can spend rolling another 900 or so cigars... to attain the persistency level of a "factory trainee."
Bryan (sp?) of Cigar Obsession says that 9% of people can not taste the various notes in cigars. I am in that 9%. He goes on to ask of the 9%ers: "Why smoke cigars then"? Good question, I guess. My answer: "It's a life style". Not being able to really "taste" cigars can be considered an advantage when trying to duplicate, exactly, a particular cigar.
Thank you, again, Bob for your sage advice. James

 

[Smokin Harley]

whether youre of the 9% or not , I think the best reason to enjoy a cigar,pipe ,spirit ,etc. or whatever is the simple "because I like it"

 

[The James]

I just now "lost" my reply to you, so I'll try it again here.
I agree with you completely on the reason we smoke cigars etc.
This week I purchased a non-stick rolling pin to flatten the secondary veins in cigar tobacco leaves. It works quite well at flattening but the, medium case, leaves do stick to the pin. However, it weakens the leaf along side of the flattened vein to the point of tearing as I keep it taught while rolling the bunch. I'll try not exerting so much pressure on the pin and see what happens.

 

[Smokin Harley]

If I intend to roll flat the secondary veins , I use a 8 inch piece of 1 inch wooden dowel rod.